kapoteÅ›vara dekhite gelÄ bhakta-gaṇa saá¹…ge
ethÄ nityÄnanda-prabhu kaila daṇá¸a-bhaá¹…ge
tina khaṇá¸a kari' daṇá¸a dila bhÄsÄñÄ
bhakta-saá¹…ge ÄilÄ prabhu maheÅ›a dekhiñÄ
kapoteÅ›vara - the Åšiva temple of the name KapoteÅ›vara; dekhite - to see; gelÄ - went; bhakta-gaṇa saá¹…ge - with the devotees; ethÄ - here; nityÄnanda-prabhu - Lord NityÄnanda Prabhu; kaila - did; daṇá¸a - of the sannyÄsa staff; bhaá¹…ge - breaking; tina khaṇá¸a - three parts; kari' - making; daṇá¸a - the staff; dila - threw in; bhÄsÄÃ±Ä - washing away; bhakta-saá¹…ge - with the devotees; ÄilÄ - returned; prabhu - Lord Caitanya MahÄprabhu; maheÅ›a dekhiÃ±Ä - having seen the temple of Lord Åšiva.
When Lord Caitanya MahÄprabhu went to the temple of Lord Åšiva known as KapoteÅ›vara, NityÄnanda Prabhu, who was keeping His sannyÄsa staff in custody, broke the staff in three parts and threw it into the river BhÄrgÄ«nadÄ«. Later this river became known as Daṇá¸a-bhÄá¹…gÄ-nadÄ«.
The mystery of the sannyÄsa-daṇá¸a (staff) of ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu has been explained by ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu accepted the order of sannyÄsa from a MÄyÄvÄdÄ« sannyÄsÄ«. The MÄyÄvÄdÄ« sannyÄsÄ«s generally carry one staff, or daṇá¸a. Taking advantage of ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu’s absence, ÅšrÄ«la NityÄnanda Prabhu broke the staff into three parts and threw it into the river later known as the Daṇá¸a-bhÄá¹…gÄ-nadÄ«. In the sannyÄsa order there are four divisions — kuá¹Ä«caka, bahÅ«daka, haá¹sa and paramahaá¹sa. Only when the sannyÄsÄ« remains on the kuá¹Ä«caka and bahÅ«daka platforms can he carry a staff. However, when one is elevated to the status of haá¹sa or paramahaá¹sa, after touring and preaching the bhakti cult, he must give up the sannyÄsa staff.
ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu is ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is therefore said, Å›rÄ«-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rÄdhÄ-kṛṣṇa nahe anya: “Two personalities — ÅšrÄ«matÄ« RÄdhÄrÄṇī and ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa — are combined in the incarnation of ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu.†Therefore, considering ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu to be an extraordinary person, Lord NityÄnanda Prabhu did not wait for the paramahaá¹sa stage. He reasoned that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is automatically on the paramahaá¹sa stage; therefore He does not need to carry the sannyÄsa-daṇá¸a. This is the reason ÅšrÄ« NityÄnanda Prabhu broke the staff into three pieces and threw it into the water.
